College Preparation | Senior Program

There's more than one pathway to college. It's not just about getting into the best school—it's about figuring out what's the best school for you. "The College Project" is designed to help you search for that school. Over the summer, the Senior Program offers you an unmatched collection of college workshops, seminars, presentations, fairs, and trips to university campuses—giving you access to admissions representatives, essay writing experts, Princeton Review teachers, and college placement advisers.

Along with that, while you're at Explo, you'll also see what college life is like firsthand. You'll be living in the dorms, balancing your classes and extracurriculars, making friends from around the world, and taking on increased independence and responsibility. Your teachers and RAs will be a great resource as well: college and graduate students with a variety of majors (and just as many insights) coming from universities all across the country and world.

Here's what "The College Project" has to offer you this summer:


1st Session: Sun, July 11
2nd Session: Sun, August 1
There are a lot of rumors and half-truths about what works in college admissions and what doesn't. Join us in this workshop and we will set the record straight. Logan Powell, the Director of Admissions at Princeton University, and Carlene Riccelli, M.Ed., lead "The College Search"—a daylong seminar that gives you insider access into the college admissions process. Find out which guidebooks are the most reliable. Estimate your chances of admission and how to put together a list of schools. Understand the anatomy of a typical college application. In this workshop, we'll demystify what happens behind the closed door of an admissions panel—answering your questions and providing you with sample student applications that you will learn to evaluate from an admissions perspective.
Cost: $135


Join the renowned Dr. Sarah McGinty as she shows you how to approach writing your college essay. Get practical advice, ideas, and activities to prepare you to write a terrific essay. Plus, grab a copy of Dr. McGinty’s book, The College Essay, one of the best college essay writing guides available.


What are your "reaches" and what are your "safeties?" Do you know the difference between a research university and a liberal arts college? Confused by the whole early decision thing? In our series of weekday college seminars, we will help you answer important questions about colleges, as well as important questions about yourself. Questions like: "What kind of learner am I?"; "What job fields fit my interests?"; and "What should I be looking for when I visit a college?"


You already know how to write. Our High School to College Writing Program (HS2C) teaches you the techniques and skills to take your writing to the next level. In HS2C, you will begin to think like a college writer—learning how to organize your writing and how to structure your argument. In college, knowledge of the topic will be assumed; your writing will be evaluated on the originality and cogency of your thinking, as well as by the strength of support you can provide for your points.

Designed by Dr. Sarah McGinty, a former Harvard professor, HS2C will lead you through a range of exercises, conversations, drafts, and writing assignments designed to teach you to evaluate and edit your own writing, preparing you for both the application process and the transition into college. Admission in HS2C is competitive and requires the submission of an application and short writing sample. Because enrollment is limited, students should not delay in submitting their application materials. Click here for complete information on the HS2C Writing Concentration.


Each weekend, as part of the trip selection process, students can choose to go on visits to select college campuses in the Northeast. There will be visits to two different campuses each weekend, and each visit will include a self-guided tour of campus, a visit to the bookstore, lunch on or near the campus, and time to explore the neighborhoods. These visits are a great way for students to get a feel for the campus and the surrounding area, and begin to identify what they are looking for in a college.

Campus visits this year are planned for Harvard University, Brown University, Columbia University, and New York University (NYU).


Gather materials and talk to admissions reps from a variety of colleges and universities at our fair. Schools from all across the country attend, giving you a chance to see what's out there—from big state schools to top tier universities to small liberal arts colleges to schools with focuses in the arts and in engineering. You can talk extensively to one or two representatives, or you can cast your net wide, picking up information and brochures at many tables. Beforehand, we will even run a workshop on how to get the most out of any college fair. This is your time to search—so take advantage of it!


You want your standardized test scores to show your potential as a student—and nothing is more frustrating than an SAT score that doesn't reflect the kind of student you know you are. That's why it's important to practice and to familiarize yourself with the tests beforehand. Princeton Review courses demystify the SAT, ACT, and PSAT, breaking them down section by section and providing insight into how the test is designed . . . so you'll feel confident when it's finally time to sharpen those No. 2 pencils. Click here for complete information on Princeton Review courses.